GROSSMONT COLLEGE- For the last few weeks students in the dance department have been passionately pursuing success. I have been to almost all the rehearsals in the last week and I have been very impressed with the dance pieces that will be performed in the upcoming dance concert “Entrances and Exits.”
Showcasing both the students’ and instructors’ technical abilities, “Entrances and Exits” will include many dance styles from ballet to hip-hop. Some of the pieces are choreographed by students and faculty together, allowing the students to participate in the creative decision process.
Such experience can lead students onto the path of becoming choreographers. They get to grapple with such thoughts as “how do I make this move flow to the next?” “how do I make these movements represent the story the song is trying to tell?” “how do I make my dance piece interesting?”
Two outstanding performances were choreographed by Nancy Boskin-Mullen and Melissa Adao. Mullen’s dance piece is clear, very interpretive, and fun to watch. It was really entertaining seeing the dancers play various roles, such as a dog and a grandpa. One dancer pet another, like an owner petting a dog.
In another scene, a dancer held another like a father holding his son. The clarity and technicality that I saw touched me and reminded me of childhood’s happy times.
Melissa Adao’s modern piece incorporated many dance styles. The dynamics of this dance are captivating. The audience watches as the dance starts at a slow and steady pace and then there is a boom in speed.
The moves flowed very well and the transition between formations was very smooth with little need of improvement. The stamina and technical ability required demonstrated that the dancers have undergone intensive training. I will be looking forward to Melissa Adao’s future dance pieces.
“Entrances and Exits” promises to be a very entertaining dance concert and I am looking forward to seeing it in full. It will be performed Thursday through Saturday, April 26-28, at 7:30 p.m. at Joan B. Kroc Theatre, 6611 University Avenue, San Diego. Tickets are $10 pre-sale through the dance department and $12 at the door.
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Asuncion is arts editor of the GC Summit. He may be contacted at [email protected]
